.happy birthday, U.S.A.

There are few things I enjoy as much as fireworks. They stun me, each year, as if it is the first time I have been lucky enough to witness this marvel. The color, designs, noise, all against a dark sky, lead to an excited chorus of ooooh's and aahhhh's. No matter where the person next to you is from, at that moment, you are all speaking the same language. The silence and anticipation between explosions give way to sheer delight. I love looking around and watching people break into a collective grin. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the sky becomes. And while it is illuminated and quite the entertainer, it is also calm. It is as if the moon is pausing to watch as well, and everything stands still for just a moment.

Happy Birthday, U.S.A. I always think you put on quite a party.

Be safe. xoxox g.

.pretty in pink

It is said that pink, not red, is the universal color of love. It can be shy or bold.  Shocking or soft. Think of a cloud of cotton candy, the inside of a seashell, or the promise of relief (Pepto-Bismol).

Pink has soul.

Or the ability to make you look inside of your own.  Many prisons use limited deep pink tones to diffuse aggressive behavior.  Sports teams also use pink in opposing locker rooms for the same reason-color experts claim certain shades may subdue the opponent. I should have consulted the experts before we moved in our home as Benjamin Moore Pink Party has a much different effect on my youngest daughter and her pals.  

 

Wikipedia says the most common connotations to pink are, and, yes, in this particular order,

•  Girls
•  Love
•  Breast cancer
•  Fairies
•  Valentines Day 
•  Homosexuality

Seeing pink elephants in hallucinations is a sign of delirium. And while this was not on the short list, I thought you might want to know it's out there.

(images Mary Ruffle, New York City Ballet, S. Paola)